Longfellow for a Tall Fellow by Laurie DuncanHow I recall the fields of youth
where toil was play, so wild, uncouth;
our dreams stretched far beyond all sight,
to skies of blue and suns of white,
as lads did cry, "Excelsior!"
So many miles and paths we've trod,
few known to man, yet all to God.
Can a decade passed seem so long,
when the prize still shines so strong?
Somehow we'll fly--excelsior!
Then--so soft--the burdens pile;
a day's a month, one step's a mile
gone beyond the intended turn.
Sweet heartache becomes heartburn.
Oh, that old lie, "Excelsior..."
The caravan halts to resupply
and somehow instead mouths multiply,
divide pillowed dreams from your head,
carve up your hard earned bacon and bread.
Still the cry, "Excelsior!"
Onward, you try, in lean, chill December
summer whiskeyed warmth to remember.
The nights grow short, the bed too cold;
your back cracks stiff; your friends look old.
yet faint the cry, "Excelsior!"
I pray, death faced, you will rejoice
to rest in peace; then comes a voice
that rumbles thunder from the dome:
"You followed me. I'll bring you home."
Your home lies ever "excelsior."
(This is a parodic exercise on "Excelsior," which means "higher/ upward" in Latin. I recommend the original. Written around a friend's 30th birthday.) 05/27/2009 Posted on 05/28/2009 Copyright © 2025 Laurie Duncan
Member Comments on this Poem |
Posted by Jo Halliday on 05/28/09 at 03:10 AM You have done this so amazingly, that I in fact prefer this one over the original. |
Posted by A. Paige White on 05/28/09 at 01:48 PM To quote a fellow Pathetic poet, I couldn't rate it high enough! The title is very eye catching, too. So great to find this array of great poetry of an early morning, Thanks! |
Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 05/28/09 at 02:58 PM I love what you did with this form. That classic- feeling first stanza, full of life, sets a tone that draws me in. After reading the author's note, I just have to laugh at the 2nd to last stanza with stiff backs that crack, and cold beds, and especially "yet faint the cry, "Excelsior!" |
|